Gratitude.

What an opportunity to have a positive impact on someone..to enhance their experience.

Gratitude can be simple

It doesn’t take much – it just needs to be sincere. A smile is simple, but it can convey many different signals. People can see right through an insincere, empty smile. On the other hand, when your smile says, “Wow! We are totally on the same page. I can really relate. I love what you’re doing. I love what you’re saying. You rock!” – that’s a smile of appreciation, and it’s felt, not just heard. Chances are they’ll smile right back at you with that same sincerity. Bingo – you’ve made a real human connection, you have mutual appreciation and gratitude. It feels better this way.

I am honored to have written this as a guest post on Scott Mabry’s excellent blog, ELUMN8.
Click HERE to read the rest of the post.

The other day I was complimenting a team member on a job well done for a task that he had just completed – I called it a “big win”. He was very appreciative of the commendation, however he laughed, as he though the words “big win” was an exaggeration. This is when I resolved that the next handful of downplayed achievements by the achiever are going to receive unusually large celebration. A little obnoxious…maybe, but fun and encouraging, nonetheless – this is one of those simple pleasures, this is what it’s all about.

A timely smile is simple, it takes hardly any effort, but yet can be a huge win.

The time and effort involved to complete the task I mentioned were relatively small; however, the result was very outwardly visible, provided great convenience and value to others, and saved a lot of people a lot of time and effort – a “big win” from any outside perspective.

Something that may seem small or minor to one person, may not be perceived that way by others. I’m always on the lookout for achievements by others – these come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. We don’t always need to throw a party, but even just simple acknowledgement goes a long way.